By George Ford, Reporter

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - About 300 workers who have lost their jobs at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids since Oct. 25, 2011 will receive information next week about getting reemployment assistance from the federal government.

Roughly 250 employees of Rockwell Collins Government Systems Division and Shared Services & Operations Division and 50 contract workers have been certified by the U.S. Department of Labor for reemployment services under the Trade Act of 2011.

The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. for workers with last names beginning with letter A through M. For workers with last names beginning with letter N through Z, the meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m.

The meetings, which will last about two and a half hours, will provide laid-off workers with an overview of reemployment services, such as classroom training, on-the-job training, job relocation, wage subsidy for older workers, and Health Coverage Tax Credit, available to eligible individuals.

The meetings also will review the time frames and any deadlines for possibly accessing the services.

Attendees should bring a pen to complete Trade Act eligibility paperwork. The paperwork is important because some of the services do not have expiration dates, as long as Congress continues to fund the program or makes no contrary legislative changes.

Employees and contract workers laid off from Rockwell Collins Commercial Systems Division were not approved for Trade Act certification by the U.S. Department of Labor, because there was no international trade aspect of their employment.

Rockwell Collins has indicated it may need to eliminate additional Government Systems Division positions due to the impact of U.S. Department of Defense cuts as a result of federal budget sequestration.